Choosing a Nursing Home

Making a decision about nursing home care can be difficult, but there are resources in your community that can help you. Call toll-free 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227) or click here to get information about the quality of care in nursing homes in your area.

Nursing home quality information included on the Nursing Home Compare web site includes:

• Resident’s ability to move
• Use of physical restraints
• Level of pain management
• Resident’s skin condition (presence of pressure or bed sores)
• Resident’s medical status
  • Signs of delirium
  • Signs of new infections
• Resident’s rehabilitation needs
  • Improvement in walking
• Resident’s daily activities
  • Ability to perform basic daily tasks

If you are making a decision about nursing home care, Medicare’s quality information should be used as an additional resource in your decision-making process. If you or your loved one is currently in a nursing home, Medicare’s quality information should be used to evaluate or change the quality of care being provided by the facility. It can also be used as a guide for talking to the nursing staff about how they plan to improve the quality of care, if necessary.

Click here to for more information from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.